Common sole (Solea solea)

Scientific name: Solea solea Linnaeus, 1758

Common sole (Solea solea)

The Common sole (Solea solea) is a brackish-water fish of the family Soleidae.

Biology

Adults occur at a temperature range of 8.0-24.0?C. Usually solitary. They burrow into sandy and muddy bottoms. Retreat to deeper water during winter. Feed on worms, mollusks and small crustaceans at night. Waden sea is the most important nursery area. Batch spawner. Recruitment is very variable. Frequently found pelagically during spawning migrations. Marketed fresh and frozen; utilized steamed, fried, broiled, microwaved and baked. The Hastings Fleet Dover Sole fishery of this species has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (http://www.msc.org/) as well-managed and sustainable (http://www.msc.org/html/content_1216.htm).

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Solea solea
Family
Soleidae (Soles)
Order
Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
70.0
Common length
35.0
Depth range
0–150 m (0–492 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 150 m, usually 10 - 60 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: southward from Trondheim Fjord (including North Sea and western Baltic) and Mediterranean Sea (including Sea of Marmara, Bosporus and southwestern Black Sea). Elsewhere, southward to Senegal, including Cape Verde.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.21-0.33; tm=3-5; tmax=26; Fec=100,000)

More other freshwater fish

See all other freshwater fish

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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